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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pound — a weight
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. clip — for paper
  11. bulb — for light
  12. content — the amount
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mug — a face
  17. content — happy
  18. snap — to click
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — a video
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com